Rotary engine.



H. G; SGHAEPER. ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. so, 1908.

909,685. Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

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H. 0'. SGHAEFER. ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. so, 1908.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

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HERBERT CLYDE SCHAEFEB, OF EL PASO, TEXAS.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1909.

Application filed. March 30, 1908. Serial No. 424,064.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT CLYDE SCHAEFER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of El Paso, in the county of El Paso and State of Texas, have invented a new and Improved Rotary Engine, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in rotary engines, and more particularly to that type of engine in which there is provided an outer casing or cylinder, and an inner rotatable body eccentrically mounted in respect thereto, and having a sliding blade held in engagement or closely adjacent to the inner surface of said casing or cylinder.

My invention involves an improved construction whereby this sliding plate or blade, against which the motive fluid engages, is supported and reciprooated by the action of rollers, and independent of the engagement of the plate or blade with the inner surface of the cylinder. I

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which drawings like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the views, and in which Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section through an engine constructed in accordance with my invention, said section being taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 3; Fig. 2 is an end view of the engine, the end plate of the casing being removed, and the remaining parts shown on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section, and showing the rotor in side elevation; and Fig. 4: is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the rotor in section.

In the specific embodiment of my invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, I provide an outer casing or cylinder 10, having a substantially cylindrical cham ber 11. At the ends of the casing are two end plates 1212, having bearings for the support of a main shaft 13. Mounted on the shaft 13 I provide a drum or piston wheel 14, which, together with the sliding blade, or plate carried thereby, constitutes the rotor. The shaft 13 and the drum 14: are eccentrically mounted in respect to the chamber 11, the outer surface of the drum and the inner surface of the chamber being tangential at one point, preferably at the bottom or lower side. At this point the casing carries a packing 15 resiliently held in engagement withthe surface of the drum by the action of a suitable spring 16. In the lower portion of the casing I provide a second chamber having an inlet 17 with a valve 18 slidably mounted therein, and having a supply conduit 19 and an exhaust conduit 20 communicating therewith. The chamber communicates with the interior of the cylinder by means of two passages 21, 22, leading to opposite sides of the valve 18, and each entering the chamber 11 substantially tangentially. The valve 18 engages with the upper and lower surfaces of the chamber 17, but does not engage with the vertical sides of said chamber along the length thereof. In the upper surface of the valve is a passage 23 which communicates with the supply conduit 19 and is slightly shorter than the distance between the passages 21 and 22. The valve plate may be moved longitudinally so that the passage 23 will serve to establish communication between the supply conduit 19 and the inlet passage 21, or between the supply conduit 19 and the inlet passage 22. With the valve plate in the intermediate position, the supply conduit cannot oommunicate with either of the passages and no fluid can enter the engine. The outlet conduit 20 communicates with the side of the chamber 17, and as the valve is shorter than the chamber and narrower than the chamber, the space at the sides of the valve communicates at all times with the exhaust conduit. I/Vhen the valve is in such position as to establish communication between one of the passages 21 or 22 and the conduit 19, the other passage will be in communication with the exhaust conduit 20. The valve may be moved in any suitable manner. As illus trated, a valve stem 24: extends through a stufling box in the side of the casing, and is connected by a suitable length to an operat- 1 ing lever 25. The latter swings adjacent a sector 26 and is provided with a suitable dog for engagement therewith to hold the valve in the desired position.

Within the drum 14:, the central portion 27 of the shaft 13 thereof is square in cross section, so as to fit a square opening in the drum and hold the latter rigid in respect thereto. At each side of the square section 27 I provide the shaft with square portions 28 extending from the drum to the inner sides of the end walls 12. The casing 10 intermediate the two end walls 12 is provided with two inwardly directed flanges or rings 29, which together with the outer surface of the drum 14: and the inner surface of the casing 10 define the chamber 11. The distance between the inner surfaces of the two rings or flanges is less than the length of the drum, but the distance between the outer surfaces is greater than the length of the drum. Adjacent the inner edges of the flanges there are provided shoulders which engage with the periphery, and also with a narrow portion of the ends of the drum, to hold the latter against longitudinal movement, and to prevent the escape of motive fluid from the chamber 11. At the ends of the drum the periphery thereof may be provided with suitable packings substantially as shown.

The drum is provided with two radially disposed slots 30 extending from the square section 27 of the shaft to the periphery of the drum, and each of a length substantially equal to the distance between the flanges or rings 29, as shown in Fig. 4. Within the two slots are provided two plates 31 arranged to slide in the slots and held rigid in respect to each other, so that the shoes 32, 32 at the outer ends of said plates will be in engagement with the inner surface of the casing at all times. Vithin the slots there are preferably provided spring pressed packings '33, which engage with the plates upon opposite sides thereof, and there are also provided rollers 34 which facilitate the movement of the plates.

Outside of the chamber 11 and between the flanges or rings 29 and the end walls 12 of the casing, there are provided means for supporting and guiding the plates 31 so as to maintain their outer ends in engagement with the casing with uniform pressure. As shown, this means comprises two plates each having a slot therein for the reception of the corresponding square section 28 of the shaft 13 so as to cause the plates to rotate with the shaft, and each plate carries a roller 36 at its outer end which engages with the inner surface of the casing. Each plate is provided with two arms 37 extending out through the openings in the ends of the drum, and each arm is connected at its outer end to the adjacent plate 35. The means for attaching preferably includes a bolt 38 extending through the arm and extending through lugs 39 on the plate. Between the lugs. there is provided a nut rotatably mounted on the bolt, and held from longitudinal movement by the lugs. By rotating the nuts the bolts are drawn longitudinally and the plate forced outwardly or inwardly to vary the engagement of the outer end with the casing. The chamber 11 is substantially cylindrical in form, but is slightly flattened to neutralize the fact of the eccentric disposition of the shaft 13 so as to maintain the shoes 32 in uniform en gagement with the casing as the drum ment. There is substantially no friction between the ends of the blades or plates and the casing, as the weight and pressure is determined by the rollers 36 and the adjustment of the bolts 38. For varying the speed of the engine the position of the blades may be varied so as to engage with or be spaced from the casing, as desired. There are no springs employed in connection with the blades, and thus this common source of trouble is eliminated. The space outside of' the flanges 29 may, if desired, be partially filled with lubricating oil so that at each revolution the rollers pass therethrough and are thoroughly lubricated. The blades may be adjusted without removing the drum or the flanges 29, as it is only necessary to remove the end plates 12. The engine can be operated in either direction or stopped, the entire control being by a single valve. The drum may be made as light as desired by providing openings 40 therethrough, and the compression of the fluid against the packing 15 may be eliminated byrelief passages 41.

Various changes may be made in the construction and within the terms of the a pended claims without departing from t e spirit of my invention. 7

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 7 Patent:

1. A rotary engine, including a casing, a main shaft extending therethrough, a drum rotatably mounted on said shaft and eccentric in respect to said casing, a blade carried by said drum and radially movable in respect thereto, a plate adjacent the end of the drum and extending acros sa diameter thereof and having a slot through which said shaft extends. rollers carried by said plate adjacent the ends thereof and adapted to engage with the inner surface of said casing, to move the plate longitudinally in respect to the drum asthe latter rotates, and means connecting said plate and blade, whereby the plate rotates to move the blade radially.

2. A rotary engine, including a casing, a main shaft extending therethrough and eocentric in respect thereto, a drum within 1 inner surface of said casing, and means consaid casing and rigid with said shaft, ablade meeting said blade and said plates, whereby carried by said drum and radially movable the plates operate to move the blade radially. in respect thereto, transverse plates adjacent In testimony whereof I have signed my a the ends of said drum and having slot-s name to this specification in the presence of 5 therein through which said shaft extends to two subscribing witnesses. rotate the plates with the shaft, but permit HERBERT CLYDE SQHAEFER, longitudinal movement of the plates in respect to the shaft, rollers adjacent the ends 10 of said plates and in engagement with the WVitnesses RANDOLPH TERRY, FRED SGHAEFER. 

